


My Little Prince

by Buckybeardreams



Series: My Little Prince [1]
Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Classifications, Daddy!Damon, Daddy!Stefan, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hybrid Klaus Mikaelson, Litlle!Elena, Little!Jeremy, Littles Are Known, No Underage Sex, Non-Sexual Age Play, Not Canon Compliant, Protective Klaus Mikaelson, Teenage Jeremy Gilbert, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, alternate universe - classifications, daddy!klaus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:01:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27038386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buckybeardreams/pseuds/Buckybeardreams
Summary: Jeremy is a Little, who desperately wants to just be a normal teenager. That becomes nearly impossible, when he meets Klaus, a powerful, hybrid, Caregiver who has no intention of letting the little boy go.
Relationships: Elena Gilbert & Damon Salvatore & Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert & Jeremy Gilbert, Jeremy Gilbert & Josh Rosza, Jeremy Gilbert & Klaus Mikaelson, Jeremy Gilbert & Rebekah Mikaelson, Klaus Mikaelson & Rebekah Mikaelson
Series: My Little Prince [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028445
Comments: 19
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LivingDeaDGirl244](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivingDeaDGirl244/gifts).



> I'm not sure this is really what you were looking for, but, well, this is what happened. So, I hope you enjoy it either way.
> 
> It did end up being a bit of a crossover, only cuz my memories of these two shows are kinda blurred together. I watched them simultaneously, so yeah...
> 
> I'm pretty sure it's readable, even if you've never seen the Originals tho

The house was quiet, and the night windy. The floorboards were cold against his bare feet as Jeremy padded across them, making his way down the hall. Elena's door was cracked open. Jeremy could see her writing in her diary. Her back against the headboard and her eyes trained on the pages. He quickly snuck past, not wanting to be seen.

He could hear the shower running as he passed it, and knew his aunt must be in there. Jenna was a psychologist, but she wasn't a particularly organized woman. She tried her best. She really did. After, Jeremy and Elena's parents died in a car accident, their aunt became their legal guardian. Jeremy didn't have anything against her. He really didn't. 

He was having a hard time with the loss of his parents. Though, he'd never admit it. Jeremy didn't want help. He didn't need help. He didn't want to talk about his feelings or anything stupid like that. He just wanted to be left alone. He wanted to be a normal teenager, while he still could be. Jeremy knew that he was a Little. It was obvious to him. He tried his hardest to hide it from his family and his friends, but he found it hard to lie to himself.

He slipped down the stairs, pulled on his shoes and was out the door. He knew Jenna wouldn't check in on him. She tried her best, but she wasn't very good at playing the parent role. Not that Jeremy really minded it. It made it easier for him to do his own thing. Jeremy made his way down the street and towards the edge of town. Vicki had invited him to party with her friends, and Jeremy was keen on joining them. He'd always liked Vicki. Finally, after all this time, she was paying attention to him.

It made Jeremy feel normal. Like he wasn't just some stupid baby, pretending to be big. He wasn't just a Little. He was a fifteen year old, who wanted nothing more than to just be a teenager. He wanted to drink and smoke weed. Have a good time and forget about his parents.

He knew his sister was having a hard time. She had been in the car with them, when they drove off the bridge. It was a miracle she was even alive. Yet, Jeremy couldn't stand to be around her. She was constantly telling him what to do. You need to do better in school, Jeremy. Work harder, Jeremy. Stop doing drugs, Jeremy.

God, she was so annoying.

"Jeremy!" 

His head snapped up. He'd gotten lost in his thoughts and hadn't even noticed the group of teens sitting on headstones with beers in hand. Vicki was waving him over.

He sighed.

He wanted to hang out with friends, like a normal teenager would. These weren't really his friends though. Jeremy didn't really have any friends. He almost wanted to just turn around and go back home. He couldn't without seeming lame, so he walked over.

"Here, grab a beer."

Jeremy snatched up a frigid can out of the cooler and cracked it open. He tried to focus on the group around him. Vicki tried to engage him a few times, but soon a joint was being passed around. Vicki wandered off with another girl. She told Jeremy they were looking for a pee spot. He watched one of her friends slip her a ziploc bag, and Jeremy knew they were going off to do pills. Jeremy wasn't completely oblivious. He was definitely feeling faded though. 

He started to feel agitated, when Vicki came back. She was clearly messed up and way higher than Jeremy was comfortable with. He wanted to escort her back to her house, but she shook him off and told him to just leave, if he wasn't gonna be any fun.

Jeremy sighed, frustrated, and called her brother.

Feeling good that Matt would come and get her, he left. It was well past midnight now. The stars were scattered across the dark night sky, the view obstructed by swaying trees. The wind whipped past him, howling ominously. Jeremy shivered, his hands curling in his hoodie pocket.

He stumbled over the uneven ground, his head feeling light and fuzzy. His knees hit the hard earth and his hands stung from the impact, as they shot out to catch him. He pushed himself back up to his feet. His head spun from the sudden movement and his stomach lurched, threatening to dispel its contents. He'd drank a couple of beers. He couldn't remember exactly how many, but probably a half a dozen or so. Jeremy wasn't exactly used to drinking. He'd only started a few months earlier, after his parents had died.

Jeremy was starting to think he'd made a horrible mistake by coming out here. His feet stumbled over each other with each step he took. He was panting hard, feeling panic bubble up inside him.

He looked around.

The graveyard looked impossibly large. It stretched to the edge of his sight. Nothing but headstones and trees layed out in all directions around him. He could no longer see Vicki or her friends and he wasn't entirely sure that he was going in the right direction.

It was then that Jeremy realized he had dropped. He wasn't just drunk and high. That alone, he could probably handle. Being Little, that was something entirely different. Jeremy tried his hardest to ignore his Little side. He hated his classification. He wasn't even technically classified. Wouldn't be for another year. Still, there was no doubt in his mind that he was a Little. Or that he was in his headspace right now. 

He gave up on trying to make his feet function properly. He collapsed on the ground. His feet were planted firmly on the loose dirt. His arms rested on his knees, pillowing his head as it dropped forward. Jeremy wasn't sure how long he sat there. Maybe a few seconds. Maybe a lifetime. 

* * *

Klaus watched the group of foolish teenagers, inebriated and not fully aware of their surroundings.

They were easy targets and Klaus knew that he could pick them off one by one with no true effort on his part. He was only passing through Mystic Falls, the territory of the Salvatore brothers. Klaus had never been close to Damon, but Stefan had once been like a brother to him. That had been a couple of decades ago. They hadn't exactly parted on good terms. So, he wasn't particularly concerned about the trouble it could cause them to feed in their town.

He was ready to end this party and wreak havoc, something that Klaus was very good at. He quite enjoyed taking what he wanted, and as far as the hybrid was concerned, humans were no more than toys for him to play with.

His heightened hearing picked up on a sound, not too far off from where he was. The sound of someone sobbing filled his ears as though they were right next to him.

Something inside of Klaus pulled him away from the bodies of warm blood and out towards a figure, curled in on itself. His head was down, but it was obvious from the sobs that he was crying. Klaus didn't know why he was drawn to the boy, only that he was. The scent of blood hit him as the wind shifted, an afterthought.

He appeared next to him in the blink of an eye and knelt down. He was silent as he moved and the boy didn't notice him, until he touched his shoulder. His touch was soft, more gentle than Klaus could remember being in a long time.

There was a time, long ago, before he'd been turned, when Klaus had a kind heart. When he truly cared for his siblings, more than he cared for violence and vengeance. Those days had long since passed. Faded off into the distance. Nothing more than a fable or a myth, that one tells their children.

The teenager started with a gasp, his head snapping up to meet dark blue eyes. Klaus sucked in a breath as he took in the sight of the boy. Tears staining his cheeks. His dark eyes were red and puffy. His lip quivered. Klaus realized what it was that drew him towards this boy, and it had nothing to do with the sweet scent of blood filling his nostrils. Rather, it was his Caregiver instincts that had laid dormant for years.

The mere presence of this boy awakened something inside of Klaus. Something that he hadn't thought much about since bloodlust had taken over his senses. The mere existence of this particular being, the belonged to a species that Klaus had believed to be beneath him for so many years, did something to him.

Klaus couldn't fathom why, but he had the sudden urge to wrap the boy in his arms and take him somewhere safe. Humans were such fragile creatures. Klaus had always viewed them as weak and pathetic, at least since he'd turned. Now when he looked at this boy, he saw something delicate, breakable, and so precious it needed to be protected.

Klaus wasn't good at holding back, or fighting against his desires. Which is why he scooped up the boy, who yelped and grabbed onto him. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he'd been with the group of teens. His breath smelled of beer and the scent of weed clung to his clothes, along with the hint of blood on his skin. The trees whipped past them as Klaus made his way out of the graveyard. Being a hybrid, his speed was astonishing.

Klaus didn't know where to take the boy, but he knew that he wouldn't let him go, until he was safe. He considered taking him to his family mansion, but it was, no doubt, dusty and hadn't seen life, or lack thereof, in decades.

He brought him to the Salvatore Boarding House, instead. The only other place Klaus could think to take him. It looked marginally different than Klaus remembered, but it was certainly still the residence of the Salvatore family. He didn't bother knocking. Stefan looked up in surprise from where he sat in the parlor, when Klaus entered.

"Klaus? What are-" His eyes narrowed, as he took in the sight of the boy in his arms.

Klaus observed the way the vampires body tensed and his nostrils flared, and he found himself wanting to protect the Little in his arms. Jeremy's wound was barely a scrape and it was no longer bleeding. Nonetheless, the scent of blood filled the spacious room.

"Attack, and I'll kill you." Klaus warned, his voice deadly.

"Put Jeremy down." Stefan said, calmly.

Klaus quirked an eyebrow. Interesting. It wasn't overly shocking that Stefan knew the boy. It was a small town, afterall. He had no intention of letting go of the boy, but Jeremy's words, had him second thinking his original intentions.

"I'm gonna be sick." Jeremy said.

Klaus set him down, gently, but quickly. He kept an arm wrapped around his waist to keep his wobbly legs from collapsing under him. Stefan disappeared, returning just as quickly with a garbage can in his hands.

He placed it in front of Jeremy, and it didn't take long until the boy was leaning over Klaus' arm and throwing up. The scent was foul and masked the scent of blood, but it didn't deter Klaus. If anything, seeing the boy weak and vulnerable like this, stoked the flame inside of Klaus that Jeremy had reignited.

* * *

The Little played with the hem of Klaus' shirt, which the hybrid had put on him after he managed to puke on his own clothes, despite being provided a bin to throw up in. Jeremy was wearing nothing but his boxers and the short sleeved shirt. His feet were bare as he sat on Klaus's lap. The man kept pushing his fingers away from his palms, as the boy tried to pick at the Dora the Explorer band-aids that covered his scrapes

"You can't keep him, Klaus." Stefan said, exasperated.

Klaus had listened to what Stefan had to say, after explaining how he came across the boy. He didn't care that Jeremy had an aunt or sister at home. He didn't care that he went to high school. What he cared about, was keeping the boy. He wanted him. He needed to protect the Little and keep him close.

"I won't be parting ways with him. I will send for help to dust off and stock up my family mansion. Perhaps remodel a bit. His family is welcome to visit him there."

Stefan groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You can't just take him. He's not some stray you picked up off of the streets." Stefan insisted.

"I can and I will. His family has no claim over what is mine. He is mine." Klaus growled.

Jeremy whimpered and ducked his head. Klaus looked down at him, smiling softly at the pouty boy.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe with me, little one."

Jeremy looked curiously at him. His head tilting adorably, and his eyes large and full of wonder as they blinked innocently up at him.

"I didn't even know he was Little." Stefan murmured under his breath.

Jeremy turned to look at him, his head tilting again in that adorable way that made Klaus feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He refused to admit that it might be affection. Though he couldn't deny a certain fascination that drew him to the boy. A possessive desire to keep him close and never let anyone hurt him.

"Stefan?" He questioned.

"Yeah, it's me, Jeremy. Do you want me to take you home?"

Klaus scowled, his arms tightening around the boys waist. He had no intention of letting Stefan take theb oy form him, but he was curious about what the boy would say. So, he waited and listened for the boys reply. His words were soft like a caress and small like that of a toddler.

"Wan' my mommy." The boy whimpered.

Stefan's gaze was sad, as he looked at the boy.

"I'm sorry, buddy. I know you do. Do you want me to take you back to your aunt, Jenna?"

Jeremy pouted, his eyes watering.

"Sissy?"

Stefan's eyes widened a fraction.

"You want your sister, Elena?"

Jeremy started to nod, then he shook his head. His eyes filled with fear and he looked terrified at the thought. Klaus glared at Stefan for upsetting his little boy.

"No! No, no, no. Can' see sissy. Too li'l."

Jeremy thrashed on Klaus' lap, pushing away from him. Klaus was strong enough to easily keep him in place. Even if he wasn't a hybrid, he was a Caregiver, which meant he had enhanced strength. Of course, he was a hybrid. So, basically, Jeremy didn't stand a chance of escaping him.

"Shh. Hush, little one. Noones going to take you away from me." Klaus crooned.

Jeremy settled again, his head falling to the man's shoulder as Klaus rubbed his back soothingly. Stefan sighed.

"I'm going to have to call Elena and tell her what's happening."

"You'll do no such thing. I don't think the boy wants his family to know his little secret. You'll keep your mouth shut." Klaus ordered.

Stefan's jaw tightened, but he glanced at the Little and his eyes softened.

"Fine. I won't say anything about it tonight. Elena will ask questions eventually, if this becomes a regular thing, and I won't be able to put her off for long. He's going to have to return home, or questions will be asked sooner, rather than later."

Klaus hummed noncomittally in response, his focus on the boy who was breathing against his neck. Klaus' hand cradled the back of his head, holding him close. He was thrilled that the boy had taken such a liking to him. He was also more than a little shocked at how little he cared about the boys blood. It wasn't often that Klaus held a human this close without the intention of sinking his fangs into their neck.

Klaus had no clue why this particular Little meant so much to him. He'd met many Littles prior to this one and not cared much about them. He'd always been more lenient with the softer Class, but that hadn't stopped him from slaughtering them when it suited him.

The only thing he could compare his feelings for Jeremy to was a time years ago, when he came across a slave boy being mistreated. Klaus had seen the powerless boy and felt compelled to help him. The boy, Marcel, hadn't been a Little, but in many ways Klaus had considered him to be his son. Now, Marcel was grown and a vampire, and Klaus considered him to be his closest friend.

Jeremy whimpered and squirmed in his hold.

"Um, mister?" His small voice asked, uncertainly.

Klaus chuckled and pressed a kiss to his head.

"My name is Klaus, though I hope you will call me Daddy, little one."

Jeremy chewed on his lip, squirming more.

"Klaus. I need to pee."

Klaus was quick to stand up and before the boy could blink, he was being set on his feet. The marble floors were cold and he shivered.

"Mmh, cold." Jeremy whined. 

His arms reached out for Klaus, but the Caregiver ignored his outstretched hands, pulling his boxers down instead.

"Go pee, first." He instructed, when the boy made grabby hands at him.

Jeremy pouted, but turned to face the toilet. His aim wasn't so great. He wasn't the most coordinated when he was Little, but Klaus didn't comment on it. Jeremy pulled his boxers up when he was done and washed his hands, at Klaus' reminder. 

"Come, little one. Let's tuck you in for the night. I do believe it's well past your bedtime."

* * *

Jeremy was not interested in sleeping as the man, Klaus, tried to put him to bed. There were no children's books to be read to him, but Klaus told him stories that intrigued his Little mind. He kept asking for another one, and Klaus seemed reluctant to tell him no.

Dawn was drawing near and Jeremy was cheering and jumping on the bed, as Klaus told him the story of a poor boy who was saved by a king and became a prince.

"Tell me more! Tell me more! I want to know what the prince did next. Did he live happily ever after?"

Klaus smiled in amusement from where he was laying.

"Lay back down and I will."

Jeremy huffed, but dropped down on the bed and let Klaus pull the covers over him. He pulled the Little into his arms and stroked his dark hair.

"The prince grew to be strong and brave. He was given a kingdom that he watched over, when the king was away."

"And they lived happily ever after?"

Klaus sighed.

"While the king was away, he found another little boy. One that he felt just as compelled to protect as the first. He scooped him up and brought him to the home of a nobleman. They stayed there, until the castle was ready, so the king could take his little boy home."

Jeremy looked up at him. His eyes were large and round, fascinated, as they stared into the man's dark blue ones.

"Was the boy a prince, then?"

Klaus smiled softly at the young boy.

"Yes. He was. That's what being the son of a king means, little one. Would you like to be a prince, too?"

"Just like the boy from the story?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes. Would that please you, love?"

Jeremy grinned and nodded his head.

"Yes! If I were a prince, I'd live in a huge castle. And I'd have a shiny crown. And I'd eat ice cream every day."

Klaus laughed at the boys excited words.

"Oh? Would you now?"

"Yes, I would." Jeremy confirmed, with a nod.

"And your daddy would allow this."

"Kings can have everything they want and so can princes." Jeremy informed him.

"Hmm. Well, you're not wrong about that. I'll give you anything you want, my little prince, as long as it won't make you sick or put you in danger."

"I'm not really a prince." Jeremy said.

"No? Well, then I'm not really a king."

Jeremy's eyes swam with confusion. He opened his mouth to ask what Klaus was talking about, but a yawn escaped instead. Klaus smiled and kissed his head.

"Sleep now, little one. It's way past your bedtime now."

"Don' 'ave bedtime." The boy mumbled.

He nuzzled sleepily against Klaus' chest. His eyes fluttered shut, as the strokes of his hair lulled him to sleep. Along with the lullaby that Klaus hummed softly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did go back and add a couple of things to the first chapter a couple of days ago, nothing huge, probably doesn't matter much if you don't reread it

Jeremy woke up feeling groggy. His head was pounding, and he felt sick as he sat up in bed. His brows furrowed when he looked around the room. His memory of the night before was foggy. He was in an old room, decorated with dark red curtains that blocked out the sunlight, that would otherwise pour through the glass panes. Jeremy frowned when he saw a man laying in bed next to him.

His thoughts were slow, but it only took him a minute to process what he was seeing. He scrambled out of the bed, or at least, he tried to. The man's arm was wrapped around his waist and tightened, pulling him closer. Jeremy shrieked and squirmed in his hold.

"Stop, my little prince." The man grumbled, still half asleep, as though he'd said the same thing multiple times already.

"What the hell? Let go of me!"

Klaus blinked his eyes open and sat up, extracting his arm from around the boys waist.

"Jeremy. I see you're Big now."

Jeremy just stared at him, terrified. How does this man know he's Little? What happened last night?

"Why am I here?" He blurted out.

"I found you last night. You were intoxicated and Little."

Jeremy's heart was racing. His palms were sweaty, and he wiped them on the covers, trying to rid himself of the icky feeling. Oh god, what's happening? His mind was scrambling to recall the events of last night, but his head was still killing him, making it hard to think straight.

"Where are we?"

"A guest room in Stefan's house. I do believe you know him."

Jeremy's eyes furrowed. Why the hell were they at Stefan's? Who the hell was this man?

"Yeah, 'course I do. He's one of my sisters Caregivers. But why did you bring me here?"

"He's my friend. Are you feeling well? You were ill last night."

The man's voice held concern and Jeremy flinched away from the stranger.

"Don't touch me." He snapped, when the man reached out for him.

Jeremy scrambled out of the bed and this time the man let him. He didn't follow him as Jeremy stumbled into the en suite bathroom. What the hell happened last night? His mind was whirring. His thoughts racing, as he tried to sort out the jumble of memories from the previous night. The nausea in his stomach didn't help.

Despite the pounding in his head, it slowly started to come back to him, as he stared at himself in the mirror. His hands gripped the porcelain sink, his knuckles white. A stark contrast to the red that painted his cheeks as he remembered the way he'd let the man, Klaus, he recalled now, hold him. The way he'd spoken in a childish voice. The way he'd even peed in front of him, shamelessly, like a young child would. He had dropped, something that he tried really hard to avoid doing.

Jeremy was beyond embarrassed. He felt humiliated. He wasn't a child. He wasn't a Little. He most certainly wasn't a stupid baby. He bit his lip hard, until it stung, his teeth piercing flesh. He had felt like maybe he could be a baby. Like maybe it'd be okay, if Klaus was there to take care of him. He hated that. That's the last thing he needed. He didn't want to feel safe enough to drop. He wanted to be a normal teenager.

He shook his head, cursing under his breath.

"Jeremy!" Klaus called from the other side of the door.

"Go away!"

"I can smell your blood. Let me in."

He can what? Smell his blood? Jeremy swung the door open.

"What do you mean?"

Klaus ran his eyes over him, stopping on his lip. Jeremy swallowed at the intense look in his eyes as he narrowed in on the beads of blood.

"Let me help you."

"Tell me what you meant." Jeremy demanded.

"Let me help, and I will."

Jeremy glared at him, but stepped aside, letting the man walk into the bathroom. He watched as Klaus grabbed a washcloth and got it wet. He felt wary as he approached him. His body went stiff. The man grabbed his chin, gently, and dabbed at his bottom lip. His thumb swiped over his cheek afterwards. An unnecessary action, meant to soothe him, Jeremy realized. He found himself relaxing, his body leaning slightly towards the man, even without his approval.

"That's better." Klaus said, his tone soft, like a caress.

Jeremy swallowed. He felt all warm and fuzzy inside. He wanted to just collapse in the man's arms and be held. Thoughts of strange things, like a man smelling his blood through a closed door, slipped away.

"Are you a Caregiver?" He found himself asking.

He must be if he made Jeremy feel this way. He felt safe and secure just from being this man's presence. Stefan and Damien were also Caregivers. They always made Jeremy feel safe, which is why he mostly avoided being around them. It was dangerous. He might feel too relaxed. Become lulled into a false sense of security and let his secret slip. Then again, Stefan must know now. Which meant Elena must know. Which meant everyone must know by now, that he was nothing but a stupid baby.

"I am. I need you to breath for me. Deep breaths. I promise you're safe. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Jeremy believed him. He probably shouldn't. He didn't even know this man. He listened to him though, taking in shuddery breaths.

"Everyone knows, dont they?"

"Noone but myself and Stefan. You are safe, little one."

"I'm not Little." Jeremy said, but his voice sounded whiny, like maybe he was closer to being Little than Big.

He didn't want to be though. He really didn't.

"That's right. You're very big. You're strong and brave. My courageous prince." Klaus indulged.

Jeremy pouted at him and huffed.

"Not a prince."

"No?"

He shook his head.

"Very well, then, my not-prince. Why don't we get you some food?"

* * *

The man served him eggs and toast, but he just pouted and picked at it. He nibbled a bit at the buttered toast, but it didn't interest him much. Klaus frowned and sent him a worried look.

"Is it not good?"

"Don't want it." Jeremy whined.

"What would you like then, little one?"

Jeremy frowned and narrowed his eyes at being called little. He wasn't fully dropped and he certainly wasn't deep enough into his headspace to appreciate being called little. He ignored it though, tilting his head as he pondered the question.

"PB&J?" He settled on.

"Right. I can do that. Let me see if Stefan has peanut butter and jelly."

"Top shelf in the fridge and cabinet to the left. Bread's in bread box." Stefan supplied, from the doorway.

"Stefan!"

Jeremy hopped up and skipped over to him.

"Klaus is making me a PB&J." He told him.

"Woah! That's so cool. Can I ask you a really serious question?" He said, his voice higher pitched, the way one would speak to a young child.

Jeremy frowned, but nodded.

"Why dont you want anyone to know you're Little?"

Jeremy tensed. He glanced back at Klaus who was spreading peanut butter on a slice of bread.

"I'm not a baby." He said, defensively.

Stefan furrowed his brows.

"You don't have to be a baby to be Little, but there's nothing wrong with being a baby either."

Jeremy just huffed at that.

"Elena's Little, you know that, right?"

Jeremy nodded.

"Yeah. She's my sissy."

"She sure is. Don't you want her to know you're Little? Then you two could play together. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Jeremy shuffled his feet. His bottom lip jutting out to form a pout.

"Come eat, love." Klaus said.

Jeremy ignored the plate on the table and went to Klaus instead. Klaus blinked in surprise when the boy made grabby hands, but happily obliged, scooping him into his arms.

"Jeremy-" Stefan tried again.

"No! Shut up!" The boy shouted.

He covered his ears as he glared at him.

"Hush, child." Klaus quieted him. "Stefan, you're upsetting him."

"Elena's going to find out eventually, but it might help if I understood why he won't tell her."

Jeremy opened his mouth, most likely to shout again, but pouted instead, when Klaus sent him a stern look.

"Stefan, leave." Klaus ordered, his voice hard.

Jeremy whimpered and pressed closer to the Caregiver, his hands clutching his shirt. Klaus rubbed circles on his back, bouncing him slightly.

"This my house, Klaus."

"I don't care." Klaus snapped.

Jeremy whined in his arms, but Klaus just shushed him. He settled down in a chair, shifting the boy until he was facing the table. Klaus picked up a triangle of PB&J and held it up to his lips.

"Take a bite."

Jeremy opened his mouth and did as he was told, biting into the fluffy bread. The peanut butter was nutty and the jam sweet. It was the perfect combination of flavors, as far as Jeremy was concerned. He could live off of PB&J and never bore of it. He let Klaus continue to feed him, but turned his head away when he was offered crust. Klaus didn't seem to mind though.

Klaus took him outside afterwards and let him run around in the garden. There were toys that must have been there for Elena to use. Jeremy used the plastic hand shovel to scoop dirt into a purple pail. Klaus seemed happy to watch and praise him as he did so.

He didn't care that he was only in boxers and a shirt. He didn't care that he didn't really know Klaus. He didn't care that Stefan knew his secret. For the first time in what felt like a long time, nothing really seemed to bother Jeremy. He was happy to just play and be watched over.

Unfortunately, the pleasant moment couldn't last forever. He felt his mind itching. Something was nagging at him. Something that seemed important. Where was his phone? Did Aunt Jenna know where he was? Had Stefan really not told Elena his secret? The questions flooded in and Jeremy dropped his shovel. 

He glared at Klaus. Why did this man keep making him feel so small and safe? It was dangerous. Jeremy didn't want to be Little. He needed to stay away from this man.

"Jeremy? Are you okay, love?"

"Don't call me that! I'm not you're Little. You're not my daddy. Just stop!" He shouted.

He had gone from a happy child to a pissed off teen, in the blink of an eye. The shift made him feel a little sick, like he'd just spun around in a circle really fast. He needed to get out of here. To go home and forget this ever happened.

Klaus looked hurt by his words and a part of Jeremy felt a twinge of guilt, but he shoved that aside.

* * *

Klaus hadn't wanted to let the boy go, and he probably wouldn't have, but Stefan held him back. As in, he physically restrained him, with the help of Damon.

"You can't force him to stay and you can't force him to be yours!"

"Yes, I can and I will!"

Damon rolled his eyes at the two men who had been having a screaming match ever since Jeremy stormed off.

"From what I hear, the boy already likes you, Klaus, at least when he's Little. That's already half of the battle won, as far as I'm concerned. Just appeal to his Big side and you'll be fine. It's really not so black and white. You're both so dramatic." Damon said, rolling his eyes.

Stefan narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"You're definitely more dramatic than me." Stefan retorted.

"Whatever. Elena's going to want answers, but, fortunately, she's Little right now. We can probably distract her with my little ponies and we'll be fine."

"How do you know she's Little?"

"Well, dear brother, Jenna sent a group text to both of us, while you were busy fighting with Klaus."

Stefan grumbled under his breath, but headed for the door.

"Let's go get our Little, then."

* * *

Jeremy quietly shut his door when he reached his room. He had to sneak back in, since Jenna hadn't known he was gone. He leaned up against it and slid down to the floor. His head fell into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. He couldn't believe he'd let this happen.

It wasn't that Jeremy necessarily thought it was wrong to be Little. He didn't think it was disgusting or stupid when it was Elena. _He_ just didn't want to be one. He just wanted to fit in. He wanted to be cool enough that Vicki might like him. He didn't want to be Little. It was fine that his sister was, he just didn't want it for himself.

He hated it.

He really did.

He really hated the way Klaus had so easily lulled him into his headspace this morning. He didn't even have the excuse of being intoxicated. He was slightly hungover at best. He couldn't deny that being around Klaus and dropping had somehow, miraculously taken away the nausea he'd felt when he'd first awoken. As though Klaus put him so at ease, that his body responded to him, relaxed and let go of all the tension, the pain, the hurt, the anger. Everything.

It was frustrating and confusing.

Why couldn't he just control it? Why couldn't he stay Big? He felt so pathetic and lost. He wished his parents were alive and he could turn to them for support. They weren't though. He couldn't turn to Jenna. He would only be more of burden on her than he already was. She worked, had to raise two teens on her own, and on top of that, Elena was Little. Jeremy just couldn't admit that he was Little too. He just couldn't.

He groaned. His fingers tugged at his hair. He really wished he'd never snuck out last night. He wished that he'd never met Klaus. Then, noone would know, just like it had been before. Jeremy really wished he could just get high and forget any of this ever happened.

Instead, he collapsed on his bed. He was exhausted. Considering the minimal amount of sleep he'd gotten last night, it wasn't shocking. 


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up to Jenna knocking on his door.

"Jeremy! Are you in there?"

"Yeah!" He called out, groggily.

"Can I open the door?"

He sighed and rolled out of bed. His hair was a mess and there was dirt under his nails. His breath was foul from not brushing his teeth. He paused. Shit. He drank beer and threw up and Jenna would definitely notice.

"Um, I'm actually about to jump in the shower. What's up?"

"Just wanted to check in. I haven't seen you yet today and it's after noon."

"Oh, yeah, well I had a late night. Studying and all."

"Okay, well, just make sure you don't stay up too late again tonight. Don't want to throw off your sleep schedule. You still have to go to school on Monday."

Thank God, Jenna so easily accepted his pathetic excuses. He wasn't sure if she really believed them, or just chose not to question it. Either way, he was glad.

"Yeah, sure thing."

He was relieved when he heard her footsteps walking away.

He brushed his teeth, before stripping and jumping in the shower. He had changed back into his own clothes, which smelt like laundry detergent and were still warm from the dryer when he'd pulled them on. The hot water helped loosen his tense muscles and wash away some of his stress. If only he could scrub away the memories of the night before. Or better yet, wash off his Classification all together.

He wished it could be that easy.

* * *

Unfortunately, for Jeremy, things never seemed to go the way he wished they would.

That same night, there was a knock at his window, and the one person he wanted to see the least was there. Jeremy considered ignoring him, but Klaus didn't really seem like the kind of man who would put up with that. Jeremy unlatched his window and pushed it open, letting Klaus climb in.

"How did you even climb up here?"

Klaus glanced at him, his eyes raking over him in a protective way.

"Are you okay?" He asked, ignoring the question.

Jeremy huffed and crossed his arms. Who did this guy think he was? Coming to his place, checking up on him. 

_You're not my daddy,_ Jeremy thought, petulantly.

"I'm fine." He snapped. "Why are you here?"

The hostility wasn't lost on Klaus. The man clenched his jaw. His fists curled up, his nails digging into his palms. He appeared to be trying hard to control himself.

"You're not nearly as cute as a teenager." Klaus gritted out.

Jeremy scoffed at that and glared at the man.

"I'm not Little. What you saw was just a fluke. Not the norm."

Jeremy didn't care how ridiculous that sounded. He wasn't about to admit to being Little, and he certainly wasn't going to tell this entitled man, that he had enjoyed his company. Even, if it was only when he was Little. Kids were stupid, so that didn't prove anything.

Klaus took a deep breath and forced himself to relax.

"Teenagers like video games, yes?"

Jeremy blinked, surprised by the unexpected question.

"Yes?" He said, uncertain of where this was going.

Klaus nodded, and leaned back against the wall. It was a casual position, but power still radiated off of the man. He was screaming of strength and the ability to protect and keep secure. God, Jeremy wanted to drop so bad. He wanted to let this man take care of him. He wanted to not have all the responsibilities and demands of being a teen with no parents to look after them.

To anyone else Klaus may have seemed intimidating, but to Jeremy he was safety. Stability. Security. Everything that he desperately wanted. Everything that he needed. He wanted to be a normal teen. He wanted his parents to not be dead. He wanted to fit in. Mostly, he just wanted the pain to end. He wanted to forget about his worries and cares. He wanted to be protected.

He shuffled his feet, uncomfortably.

"I set up a game room for you. I got everything I could think of, but if there's something missing, all you have to do is ask me for it. I'll give you anything that's within my power to give."

Jeremy frowned.

"Why?"

"Because, I want you. I'm not used to not getting my way, but I'm willing to give you your way. If I'm a king, than you'll be my prince."

Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"You're not a king, and I don't want anything from you."

"I'm an original hybrid. I might as well be king of everyone and everything." Klaus told him, casually

Jeremy's eyebrows s crunched up in confusion.

"You're a what?"

"Half-vampire, half-werewolf, love." Klaus said, smirking at him.

Jeremy just stared at him. He was kidding right? This man must really be insane.

"You're crazy."

Klaus shrugged.

"I certainly won't deny it."

Jeremy sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed. What does this man want from him? Why is he doing this?

"What are you after? You want me to just be your stupid Little?"

Klaus pushed off the wall and appeared in front of Jeremy in a blur of movements, too fast for human eyes to track.

"What the fu-"

"Don't finish that sentence. I won't tolerate bad language." 

Klaus crouched down and grabbed both of Jeremy's hands.

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I told you. I want you, and I always get what I want. You will be my little boy."

Jeremy chewed on his lip. 

"Stop that. Don't open your wound again."

Jeremy blinked at him. He'd completely forgotten about biting his lip that morning. It felt like an eternity ago now. He looked out the window, at the billowing trees and the sliver of moonlight pouring in.

"I'm not going to just be Little all the time. I like being a teenager."

Klaus hummed and nodded.

"I understand. That's why I set up a game room for you. You could play in it Little too, but I'll have to monitor what games you play. I'll let you do anything and have anything. For the most part."

"Right. But no swearing." Jeremy said, sarcastically.

Klaus smirked, looking amused.

"Right, love. No swearing."

Jeremy's brows furrowed.

"This isn't like a sexual thing, right?"

Klaus looked taken aback, and shifted slightly.

"No, why would you ask that?"

"You called me love. You said that earlier, too." Jeremy said, squirming.

Klaus's eyes widened in understanding.

"No. That's just a term of endearment." He muttered, almost to himself.

He looked up at Jeremy, his dark blue eyes clashing with the boy's dark brown ones.

"You'd be my child, and nothing more. I promise. Is that what concerns you?"

Jeremy swallowed. That's not what concerned him. He wasn't even sure how he felt about being Klaus' child. Let alone only his child. It wasn't like it was odd for Littles to be in relationships with their Caregivers. Elena was dating both of her daddies, and that didn't bother Jeremy. He was a bit relieved that Klaus wasn't asking him for that though. He wasn't sure he could even be his Little. He definitely didn't want to think about being more than that. He couldn't believe he was even considering this, but something about Klaus made him want to just give in to his headspace. It was terribly frustrating.

"Okay, um, well, I should try to sleep. I don't have school tomorrow. It's Sunday. You could, uh, I dont know, pick me up at like noon, or something. I don't know." Jeremy mumbled, stumbling over his words awkwardly.

He still wasn't sure why he even said it, but Klaus looked like he'd hung the moon and stars. Jeremy felt a small fluttery feeling inside of him, and tried to fight it down. He refused to accept that he was happy that he'd made this man happy. This man was still practically a stranger. So, why did Jeremy's heart pound in his chest and his cheeks blush bright red?

"Yes, of course. Sleep well, Jeremy."

Klaus seemed to be holding back from stroking his cheek or hair. Jeremy was both relieved and disappointed by it. Klaus settled for rubbing his thumb across the knuckles of Jeremy's hands, before releasing them.

"I'll be back tomorrow."

Their was a certainty to those words. Like they were an unmoving statement. Set in stone and unable to be amended. It scared Jeremy, but it also made him feel safe. It was a strange and conflicting feeling that made him feel terribly confused.

* * *

Why was he doing this?

Klaus said that Stefan wouldn't tell. So, why even bother? He knew the secret would get out eventually. That's why. He'd rather it come out on his terms than be a shock. The weight of keeping this a secret was too much. He had this feeling inside of him. This voice that whispered in the back of his mind, that Klaus would take care of everything now. That he didn't need to worry anymore.

So, here he was. Jenna and Elena were sitting on the couch, sending him worried looks.

"What's up, Jer?" Elena said, when he remained silent.

He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

"I, um, I have something to tell you both."

They nodded, confused by his nervous behavior.

"I'm a Little." He blurted out.

Jenna blinked in surprise. Elena on the other hand, looked thrilled.

"Really? That's great, Jer! If you want, I could ask Stefan and Damon to look after you, too. I'm sure they would. They're amazing like that."

"Nah, it's okay. I appreciate it, sis, but I think I found a Caregiver. Maybe, I don't know."

Elena looked surprised by that, but nodded. Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Well, we should have a playdate sometime, then."

Jeremy nodded, and looked anxiously at Jenna. His aunt smiled softly.

"I wasn't expecting that, but I've gotta admit I'm relieved. The way you were fidgeting, I expected something much worse. Like you got someone pregnant or were addicted to drugs."

Jeremy laughed and shook his head. That went so much better than he could have ever expected.

"Well, my, um, I mean, Klaus, is coming at noon."

"Do you need anything from me? Should I pack you a lunch?"

"Nah, thanks, Jenna, but it's fine. I'm sure he has food." Jeremy said, laughing.

"Right, well, just let me know if you ever need anything. I know I'm a Neutral, but I'd do anything, for either of you. You know that, right?"

"Of course, we do, Jenna." Elena assured her.

* * *

Jeremy was sitting on the steps to the porch. He felt remarkably lighter now that he didn't have his Classification weighing him down. He still wished he could just be a normal kid.

Most people were Neutral, so being Little certainly wasn't the norm. Littles and Caregivers only made up approximately twenty percent of the worlds population, and less than five percent were actually Little.

Then again, that only took into consideration people who were registered as Littles. Many, especially those who had older headspaces, hid it. Jeremy had hidden it fairly well for the past two years, and he didn't exactly have what you could call an older headspace.

It was usually around puberty that ones Classification emerged. He was twelve when he started to show signs of being Little. He thinks his parents had noticed, at least his mom had, but then they died. He had been pretty Little the first few times he had dropped. Like, baby Little. He cringed at the thought. Babies were so vulnerable and trusting. He desperately wanted to be anything but that.

The few times he'd dropped since his parents died, he hadn't dropped so far. It was hard to, when he didn't feel safe or comfortable. Then again, sometimes feeling too unsafe, could make him drop. It was all so confusing. When he had been Little, he'd been closer to seven or eight. A kid, but old enough to get by and take care of himself, since he had to.

It scared him that he'd felt so safe with Klaus. He'd definitely been a bit younger than school aged. If he had to guess, probably closer to a preschooler. God, he really wished he was normal. Life would be so much easier, if he was Neutral.

Of course, nothing about Jeremy's life seemed to be turning out normal. His parents were gone. He was being raised by his aunt. Both he and his sister had somehow turned out to be Little, despite all the odds. Now, a crazy man had showed up and all but claimed him.

He snapped out of his thoughts, when the bottom step creaked. His eyes met Klaus'. The emotional drain of admitting he was Little to his family, seemed to really hit him in that moment. His lip quivered, his eyes watered and he found himself slipping between the cracks in his mind. He launched himself at Klaus. The man easily caught him, and hoisted him up into his arms.

"Shh, you're alright. I've got you, little one."

Jeremy sobbed and the man walked carefully with him, until they were out of sight of the road. Then they disappeared in a blur of movements. Jeremy's head was buried in Klaus' neck, so he didn't even notice it. When he raised it next, he was confused.

They were inside of a lavishly decorated house. House was maybe the wrong word to use to describe this place. It was really more of a mansion. The word castle danced through Jeremy's head. He stared in awe. Klaus had slowed down to a normal pace now. He walked up a grand staircase and entered a room that made Jeremy's eyes widen.

It was a nursery. There was no other way to describe it. Everything was sized to fit an adult, so it was clearly meant for a Little to use. The walls were cream colored and the marble floors had a large fluffy carpet centered in the middle. The carpet was beige, the drapes were golden and shimmery. There seemed to be gold accents scattered around the room. The sheets and bedding in the crib, the mobile hanging above it, the trim of the changing table. 

"This is your room, little one."

Klaus walked over to the changing table and laid him down on it. Jeremy squirmed on the surface and Klaus placed a hand on his stomach to still him.

"Here, hold this."

Jeremy was handed a smooth wooden rattle with three colorful rings, held on by the two balls at the end. He frowned. What was he supposed to do with this? He shook it, and it rattled, but it didn't particularly interest him. He wasn't that Little. At least, not at the moment. He tossed it over the edge of the changing table.

"Jeremy." Klaus said in a stern voice.

"Don' want it." The Little grumbled.

He wasn't a baby. Klaus was pulling off his pants and boxers. Jeremy didn't complain about it, until he saw what Klaus intended to put on him. Jeremy flushed bright red, when he saw the diaper in his hand.

"No! Don' want it! Don' want it!" The boy insisted.

"Hush."

Jeremy sat up, but Klaus put a hand on his shoulder and pressed him back down.

"Don't. It won't hurt you." Klaus told him, firmly.

"No, Daddy!" Jeremy whined.

He didn't even realized he said it, but Klaus's eyes widened. He once again looked liked the boy had gifted him the most precious gift. Jeremy sat up again and this time he wasn't forced to lay back down.

"Up!" He demanded.

Klaus was quick to oblige, holding the pouty Little close.

"Shh, it's okay. Daddy's right here, love."

Jeremy laid his head on his shoulder and snuggled up to him. Klaus smiled tenderly at the boy and rocked him gently from side to side.

"You have to wear something, little one." He said after a few moments passed.

Jeremy whined and clutched at his shirt.

"Wan' undawea'."

Klaus sighed. He had a feeling the boy would wet them, but Klaus didn't think there was anything he wouldn't do for the boy. Changing soiled clothes wasn't the end of the world. Especially, if it made Jeremy happy.

"As you wish, my little prince." He said, teasingly.

He set the boy down on his feet and pulled out a pair of underwear from a drawer in the changing table. 

"Twains!" The boy said, excitedly. "Bwue, n' gween, n' yewow."

"That's right, little one. You're so smart. Let's put these ones on you, hm?"

Jeremy chattered about Thomas the train engine, as Klaus helped him step into the underwear. The boy held onto his shoulders for balance as he stepped into a pair of jeans with an elastic waistband. Klaus worked them up his legs, until his feet appeared. The boy got equally as excited over a red shirt with a firetruck on it.

Klaus thought it was cute by how happy such simple things made him. He took Jeremy's hand and led him back down the stairs and into a large kitchen with granite countertops and top of the line stainless steel appliances.

One might be surprised by the amount of work that a handful of hybrids could get done overnight. Klaus wasn't shocked. He'd called in some of his friends. Though friends was perhaps the wrong word. They were closer to subordinates really.

"Joshua!" Klaus called.

The Littles eyes widened when he turned around and a man was standing behind them. He shrieked and stepped closer to Klaus. The man wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Ah, there you are. My little prince requires food. What do you want for lunch, love?"

Jeremy was still staring at Joshua. He was sure the teenager hadn't been there when they'd entered. He didn't question it much though, since he was being offered food.

"I could make him mac n' cheese. Kids like that sort of thing." Joshua told Klaus.

Jeremy nodded and grinned. Klaus smiled at his delighted expression.

"Very well, then. Come along, love."

Klaus lead the boy into a dining room with a table that could easily seat a dozen people. Jeremy eyed the highchair that sat in the corner. He pursed his lips in distaste and scrambled into a chair. Klaus snorted, but allowed it. He sat next to the boy. Jeremy swung his legs under the table and hummed a tune that Klaus didn't recognize. Klaus watched him curiously. He wondered if the boy would get bored of the silence, but he seemed content, for the moment, at least.

A few minutes passed before the boy randomly struck up a conversation.

"I like superheroes."

The topic seemed to come out of the blue. Klaus quirked a brow at him. He also noted that the boy sounded slightly older, maybe school aged. Klaus wasn't sure what the shift was. If Jeremy was trying to prove he wasn't a baby and could wear underwear and sit in a chair, or if the boy just felt older. Either way, it didn't particularly bother Klaus.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, and dinosaurs. I also like legos and making ships. Swimming's fun, too."

"That's very fascinating, love."

He found the random babble of words, that didn't seem to follow any logical thought process, to be quite endearing.

"Do you live here?"

"I do. This is my family's home. I've been staying else where, but it's a good time to return home."

Jeremy hummed, tilting his head thoughtfully.

"Is it a castle?"

Klaus chuckled at this.

"It's like a castle. Bit more modern. Closer to a palace, I'd say."

Jeremy's eyes lit up.

"Kings and queens live in palaces!"

"They sure do, little one."

"So, that means you're kinda like a king then, right."

"Well, I certainly don't hate the title." Klaus said, smirking.

"Do you have a queen?"

"I daresay my sister would be considered queen, now that my mother's gone."

"Your sister? I have a sister too. My mommy's gone, too." Jeremy said.

The boy's face fell, and Klaus felt a twinge in his chest.

"My sissy's kinda like a princess. She likes to have tea parties with her daddies." Jeremy continued quickly.

"Oh? Really?"

Klaus was picturing Stefan and Damon drinking pretend tea and being served plastic pastries. It was quite a humourous thought.

"Is your sister here?"

Klaus paused.

Technically, she was. She was currently staked and tucked away safely in her coffin, but he wouldn't tell the boy that.

"Yes, she is." He replyed, hesitantly.

"Can I meet her?"

"Not right now. She's currently indisposed."

The boy furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Is she sleeping?"

"Yes, in a way."

Joshua walked in then, with a bowl of mac n' cheese. He also had a platter of sliced fruit. He placed both on the table.

"Let me know if you need anything else."

"Yes, thank you." Klaus said, dismissively. "Say thank you, Jeremy."

"Thank you." 

"Good boy. Now eat your food."

The Little was happy to dig in. Joshua returned after a moment, with a sippy cup. Jeremy frowned at it.

"It's juice." Joshua said, smiling, before he left again. 

Jeremy took a sip and was happy to find that it was, in fact, juice. Orange juice.

He didn't touch much of the fruit, but he did finish his mac n' cheese and his juice. Klaus wiped off his face and had the boy wash his hands in the sink, when he was done. They left the dishes on the table. Joshua would clear them.

"Why don't I show you your playroom? Come along, love."

"Love." The boy echoed, tilting his head, curiously.

Klaus raised a brow at him and Jeremy just shrugged it off.

Klaus shook his head and lead the way back up the staircase and into a large room. There was an easel in the corner, that had a chalkboard facing the room, and chalk in multitudes of colors, laid out on the tray. There was a shelf with solid white buckets placed in the square cubicles. The room was pristine, clearly recently remodeled. There was no dust in sight. A large light blue playmat sat in the center of the room.

Jeremy was drawn to a wooden play kitchen in the opposite corner as the easel. He headed over to it, examining the metal pots and pans hanging on hooks above the stove. It was clearly made for a Little. It was full sized, but the knobs were just for show and the faucets weren't functioning. Jeremy opened the wooden fridge and grinned. It was stocked full of food. Some were wooden and others were cloth.

Klaus watched the boy pull out a basket that held sandwich makings. Jeremy placed the basket on the wooden table pushed up against the wall nearby. He dutifully went back to the kitchenette and rummaged through a cupboard, pulling out shiny metal plates. Klaus pulled out a chair. Jeremy glanced up at him, before turning his attention back to the food.

The young boy talked to himself, as he put together a cloth peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Need the jelly. Yeah, jelly's nummy. 'N peanut butter. Gotta go on a plate. Don't wanna make a mess."

He placed it on one of the plates. Then, he threw together a ham and cheese sandwich, muttering to himself, much like he had when he made the first sandwich. He plated it and pushed it towards Klaus. He returned to the kitchen once more to grab cups and a pitcher. He opened the fridge and grabbed a lemon and a strawberry, tossing them into the pitcher. The boy shook the pitcher. The hard wooden fruit clinking together inside of the metal pitcher and making quite a raucous.

"Gotta shake it, 'till it makes lemonade." He told Klaus, who laughed in amusement.

The boy poured the lemon into one cup, and the strawberry into the other.

"Here you go. It's lemonade." Jeremy said as he served Klaus the drink.

Klaus smirked, deeply amused.

"Why, thank you." Klaus said, taking a pretend sip. "Mm, it's delicious."

The boy glowed from the praise, beaming at Klaus.

"Mines strawberry lemonade."

"Oh? That's very cool."

"I know."

Klaus laughed.

He hadn't felt this relaxed and happy in a long time. Thoughts of vengeance and betrayals, seemed far off in the distance. A lifetime ago, maybe a couple dozen lifetimes ago.

The boy started squirming in his seat.

"Do you need to go potty, little one?"

Jeremy shook his head, a little too quickly. His hands cupping his crotch and his thighs squeezing together. Klaus raised a brow and scooped the boy up.

"No! Put me down! I'm playing!" The boy shouted.

"No, you can play after you pee."

Klaus had him in the bathroom, before the boy could complain again. Jeremy peed, albeit reluctantly.

"Good job! Wash up."

The soap was bubbly and smelled like apple pie. Jeremy popped the sudsy bubbles and splashed in the running water. Klaus stood back to keep from getting wet. He wasn't worried about the boy making a mess. Klaus didn't keep Joshua around for nothing.

Klaus' phone rang as Jeremy was drying his hands. The boy glanced up at him curiously. Klaus took one look at the name on the screen, and answered it immediately. He had a bad feeling about it, before the man even spoke.

Klaus scooped up the boy in his arms and sped down to the game room. He wasn't surprised to find Joshua playing a racing game, when they got down there.

"Klaus? I need you to come back."

"What is it?" Klaus asked.

He could tell from the stressed voice on the other line that something wasn't quite right.

"The pack is getting antsy and I'm struggling to keep them in line. There's fighting and looting and it's a mess." Tyler said.

Klaus cursed.

"Hold on. Jeremy, I need you to stay with Joshua. He's going to play with you for a bit."

"I am?" Joshua asked, pausing his game.

"Yes, you are." Klaus said, his voice hard.

Just like that, Klaus was gone. Jeremy blinked at the spot where he'd just been standing.

The boy's lip quivered.

"Wanna play Mario Kart with me?"

Jeremy looked up at Joshua and grabbed the controller that was being held out to him. He glanced back at the spot Klaus had disappeared from and frowned.

Where did he go?

Joshua was good at distracting the boy. They spent a fair amount of time playing video games. There was just about every system known to man in this room, and a large 105" TV to play them on. It was the dream set up really. They wasted away most of the day in the game room. Joshua made him more food for dinner, but the boy was starting to get upset.

Klaus still hadn't come back. He had school tomorrow, so he needed to get Big, but he felt very small and scared. He didn't understand where Klaus had gone or why he had disappeared. Joshua tried to reassure him that Klaus was fine and he just had some business to take care of. Jeremy wasn't reassured. He wanted Klaus to come back. When night came and he still hadn't returned, Jeremy snapped.

He was seriously regretting his decision to come here. His blind faith in Klaus to be there for him, shattered. How could he be this stupid? To just give in and let Klaus take him home and treat him like his little boy. He hated that he honestly had believed that Klaus cared about him. He hated how much he wanted this to work out, because of how much it hurt to know Klaus had just left. He barely even said a word to Jeremy, before he did. He wondered if it would have mattered. Would he be more understanding if the man had kissed his cheek and promised him that he'd return soon? Maybe. Maybe not. He'd never know, because he wasn't going to stick around to find out.

He went from an upset Little throwing himself on the ground, kicking and screaming as Joshua tried to appease him, to a pissed off teenager as quickly as Klaus had disappeared. He stormed off, despite Joshua's insistence that he stay.

"Fuck off!" He shouted as Joshua followed him.

"I can't do that. I have to watch you or Klaus will kill me. I actually like being undead, and I don't want to be really dead. Thank you very much."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jeremy snapped.

He was hurt and confused, and he didn't need to be spoken to in damn riddles.

"Well, even a vampire can be killed."

Jeremy froze.

What the hell? He was reminded of what Klaus had said last night. Something about being half vampire, half werewolf. He thought the man was just a bit off his rocker. Was everyone that Klaus knew this crazy? Why hadn't he been more concerned about this?

 _This is what you get for trusting strangers, who take you home, after finding you intoxicated in a graveyard._ Jeremy thought bitterly to himself.

Jeremy swallowed and kept walking. As he did, things that had happened, that he easily dismissed when he was Little, seemed harder to push off now. The way they had appeared places so quickly, so suddenly. Klaus and Joshua both seemed capable of speed far beyond what a human should be capable of.

Jeremy needed to talk to someone about this and he knew exactly who to talk to. He changed course, heading for Stefan and Damon's place. Joshua followed him the whole way, chatting obnoxiously.

"Shut up, Joshua!"

"Call me, Josh. My friends do."

"We're not friends." Jeremy scoffed.

As if, he'd be friends with this lunatic.

Yeah, right.

* * *

Stefan opened the door, furrowed his brows at Jeremy, glanced at Joshua behind him, and stepped aside to let them in.

"Jeremy? What are you doing here? Are you okay? Klaus didn't hurt you did he?" His sister asked, rushing up to him as he stepped into the parlor.

Great.

Elena was here.

Just what he needed right now.

Not.

He was really hoping she'd be at home.

"I'm fine. Just confused. Klaus took off and this idiot won't give me a straight answer as to where he is."

"I told you. He has-" Josh started.

"Business to tend to. Yeah, I heard you the first dozen times." Jeremy said, cutting him off. "You know Klaus, right?"

His question was directed towards Stefan who had remained quiet. He nodded.

"Damon?"

Damon appeared, out of nowhere, in a way that was becoming strangely familiar. Jeremy frowned when noone else in the room seemed to notice this, or think it strange.

"Take Elena upstairs. I need to talk to Jeremy."

"What? No! I wanna stay for this." Elena objected.

Stefan sighed and Damon stepped forward.

"Come on." 

Elena glared at him, but turned on her heels and stormed off. Damon followed after her.

Jeremy turned his hard gaze to Stefan.

"I want to know what the hell is going on."

Stefan nodded and sat down. He gestured for Jeremy to do the same, but the teen just glared at him.

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

"Is Klaus crazy? Because I kinda think he is and I'm starting to think I'm a really bad judge of character. I feel safe around him, but I'm not sure he is safe."

Stefan didn't respond right away. He took a moment, trying to choose his words carefully.

"Klaus seems to really care about you. I've seen him this way with his family before. He's very, um, protective of them. He also has a temper, when they defy him."

"So, I shouldn't trust him?"

"I think you have to decide that for yourself. He can be dangerous, when you're his enemy or he perceives you that way. He has a thing for control and doesn't like to be questioned. If you're deciding to go against him, I'd be worried. On the other hand, the way he looked at you, the way he reacted, I don't think he ever could see you as the enemy, Jeremy. I wouldn't be surprised, if he was more lenient with you, than he is with others.

"So, I should trust him?" Jeremy asked, feeling confused.

Stefan ran a hand through his hair, before continuing.

"I don't have a yes or no answer for you, Jeremy. What I can say is that I'm dangerous, too. Damon is dangerous. I try really hard now, to not be, but I was for a long time, and I still can be. Damon doesn't try so hard. He's reckless and cruel at times, in a way that I try not to be, when I can help it."

"Does Klaus try not to be dangerous?" 

Jeremy was afraid of the answer even as he asked the question. A part of him didn't want to know. He was sure he already knew the answer, but he wanted to pretend he didn't. It wasn't hard to miss the power that radiated off of the man in tidal waves. Jeremy didn't doubt that Klaus could hurt him, if he wanted to.

He really couldn't understand why he felt the need to cling to him. He saw that strength and all he could think, was that Klaus could protect him. Keep him safe from anything. From all of the bad things in the world. Slay all of his monsters and hold him close all at the same time.

"Not really. Klaus is dangerous and it's part of how he controls his territory. He needs everyone to feel threatened. To be scared of him. It's how he protects himself, his family, his friends."

Jeremy nodded, feeling sick. He wasn't sure he could speak. He wanted to run away and never look back. To escape everything, all of it. He really wished he'd never met Klaus. He hated that he desperately wanted the man to come back. To hold him close and make it all better.

"Thank you, Stefan. For being honest."

Joshua watched from the sidelines, carefully observing the scene. He had a bad feeling about this, but he wasn't sure it was his place to butt in.

"I can say this though, Jeremy. Damon is dangerous. I don't doubt that for a second. He doesn't try very hard to be good. I honestly don't think he has or cares about morals. I do trust him with Elena, despite all that I know about my brother. That's not something I take lightly. Elena is the most precious thing in this world to me. She's also the most precious thing to Damon. We'd both sacrifice everything, ourselves, our lives, our world, for her. There's no doubt in my mind that he cares about her. That he would never hurt her. He would die to save her. To keep her safe. To keep her happy. She means everything to both of us, and that's why I trust him with her. I think Klaus feels similarly about you."

Jeremy sucked in a sharp breath. He backed away. He wanted to turn and run, but he needed to ask one more thing.

"He said he was a vampire or a werewolf or something crazy like that. Joshua said something like that, too."

Stefan nodded, grimly. He waited to see if Jeremy was going to ask a question, but he didn't.

"He's a hybrid. Very strong. Very powerful. Both vampire and werewolf. Joshua, me, Damon, we're all vampires." Stefan said, gently.

Stefan watched the boy carefully as he processed the information. Jeremy shook his head.

This time, he did turn and run.


	4. Chapter 4

His feet took him to the graveyard.

It was late, the sky dark and the wind howling as it shook the trees. Mist settled around him, ominous, a warning sign. The world was threatening him. Jeremy ran through the headstones, tripping over his feet very much like he had just the night before.

The ground was cold and unrelenting as he crashed into it. His hands shot out to catch him. Small rocks slicing into them, breaking the healing skin. Dirt stuck to his wounds. Tears poured as the boy crashed. This time it wasn't his body crashing into the ground. It was his mind crashing. He couldn't take it. The stress. The pain. The anger.

He was furious. He was hurt and cold and alone. Jeremy curled in on himself. His hands stung from the impact. His cheeks were wet with tears. The ground was hard and uncomfortable. He hated it. He hated all of it.

He was mad. At Klaus. At Stefan. At Damon. Even at Josh. Mostly though, he was mad at himself. How was it that he'd grown up in this world, completely oblivious to the reality of what kind of a world he lived in? How could he allow himself to feel safe around a monster? Because the truth was, Jeremy hadn't felt safe the way he did around Klaus, since his parents died. Klaus made him feel safe.

Why?

Why was Jeremy so eager to trust a madman?

He knew that Klaus was dangerous. The man screamed powerful, and in control, and if-you-cross-me-I'll-kill-you. Yet, Jeremy wanted nothing more than for him to come back and hold him, and make it all better. He was so confused. He didn't understand how he could feel this way. Or why he did.

Josh danced around him in the outskirts of the cemetery, keeping an eye on Jeremy, but not approaching him. He wanted to comfort the boy. He just wasn't sure it would help.

Jeremy was unaware of the vampires presence. Unaware that he lurked in the shadows. He wouldn't have been happy, if he had known. Everything in his world seemed to be falling apart before his eyes. He was falling to pieces and he desperately wanted Klaus to pick him back up and put him together again. He needed him. Klaus wasn't there though. Jeremy should be relieved by that. The man was a monster. Half vampire, half werewolf. How could he be anything else? How could Jeremy yearn for the comfort of the devil himself? He should be relieved that Klaus was far away.

He wasn't. He was hurt and angry. He felt so small and scared. He felt like Klaus had betrayed him. Not by being a hybrid, but by not coming back. Why didn't he come back? Did he not care? Did he ever actually care? As he laid on the hard dirt floor, he started to feel something else. Maybe he just stopped feeling all together. Yes, that was it. A lack of feeling. An emptiness. Like a hole inside of him.

His parents died, and he was fine, alive, unlike them, but there was a hole in his life. A hole in his heart. He just needed something to fill it. Or maybe he needed someone. 

Smaller and smaller. So cold, so alone, so empty. Just a broken Little, with no parents. The emptiness was overwhelming and it welled up inside of him, until it overflowed. He should care that Klaus wasn't human. He really didn't. Maybe that was just because he was Little now, or maybe he just really didn't care. Maybe he cared too much about this man he'd only just met.

* * *

When Klaus returned to find that Jeremy and Joshua were both gone, he was furious. It didn't take him long to scour the town and locate them in the graveyard. He sent a hard look at the vampire, that promised he would deal with him later. His sole focus at the moment was the boy curled up on the ground.

"Come here, little one."

Jeremy sobbed into his arms, when he scooped him up.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." The boy repeated over and over, like a broken record.

Klaus rocked him, shushing the distraught Little.

"Shh, calm down. Daddy's here."

Jeremy ws cold to the touch. His skin chilled by the night breeze. He was under dressed, and unprepared for the frigid weather. Klaus sighed. His little boy had needed him. Needed a daddy to protect him and keep him safe and warm, and Klaus hadn't been there. He regretted leaving, even if he knew there was no other choice. He couldn't just abandon his pack. Even if he desperately wanted to. Not because he didn't care about his back anymore, but because he cared so dearly for this boy.

He took Jeremy back to his place. Not caring that he had an aunt or sister who may be concerned about where he was, or why he hadn't come home. Klaus' only worry was for his little boy. He carried him up to the nursery. He popped a pacifier in the boys mouth, and surprisingly enough, Jeremy latched on without any objection. He calmed down as he sucked on the soother.

The first thing he did was bring the boy into the bathroom that was connected to his nursery. Jeremy screamed when he tried to set him down, so he held the boy over the sink and carefully cleaned the scrapes on his hands.

He sat on the toilet lid, with Jeremy in his lap, to apply neosporin. Just as Stefan had done for the boy the night before. Klaus was a hybrid and everyone he cared for were vampires. If it wasn't for Stefan, he wouldn't have known how to disinfect the boys wound, or what to apply to it. It had been a long time since he cared about things as trivial as how to care for a human. Right now, it didn't seem so trivial at all. It was funny how one thing can change your perspective so drastically.

"Which band-aid do you want, love?"

The boy pointed to the box of scooby doo bandages, and Klaus put one on each of his palms.

"There you are? All better, now." Klaus said, after kissing each band-aid covered palm.

The boy was dry, but Klaus changed him anyways. He laid him down on the changing table. Jeremy stared up at him. The boy was just relieved that he'd come back. He didn't care that he was being treated like a baby. He didn't care that Klaus was a hybrid. Klaus was here. That's all that Jeremy cared about. Klaus put a diaper and sleeper on him. The pacifier bobbed in the Jeremy's mouth as he watched his daddy, tired, but alert.

He sat down in the rocker in the corner of the room and held the boy, rocking him back and forth. Klaus sang to him softly and eventually his dark eyes fluttered shut. His breathing evened out, and his heartbeat settled. Klaus held him a while longer. He wasn't quite ready to put him down.

Leaving the boy had been harder for Klaus than he'd like to admit. The whole time he was gone, he was thinking about Jeremy. Was he okay? Did the Little miss him, like Klaus missed the boy.? How soon could he return to him?

Klaus must have sat there for hours, holding the sleeping boy, before he tucked him into bed. He didn't lay him in the crib in the nursery though. Instead, he brought the boy into his room.

Klaus laid Jeremy down in the ornate cradle next to his bed. It was on rockers, so the boy could be rocked while inside it. He covered him in a crocheted blanket, grabbing a plush lion that sat in the corner of the cradle and tucking it next to him. Jeremy shifted in his sleep, rolling onto his side and clutching the stuffie to his chest. Klaus smiled at the adorable sight and pressed a kiss to his head.

"Goodnight, my little prince. Sweet dreams."

* * *

"Niklaus! Where are you brother?"

Klaus cursed.

He was in his office, talking on the phone with Tyler, who was watching over his pack of hybrids, when Elijah showed up at the mansion. He had left his room, when the call came in, not wanting to wake his sleeping boy.

"I'm going to have to let you go, Tyler. I trust you'll deal with this problem satisfactorily. I won't be returning for a while."

He didn't wait for the, most likely, disgruntled response, before hanging up.

Klaus was quick to meet Elijah in the grand entrance. No need to have him yelling, and possibly disturbing Jeremy. It was unlikely, given the house was so large, and the boys hearing was only that of a human. Still, Klaus thought it best to intercept, lest his brother find his way to where the baby slept.

"Elijah! What a surprise. What brings you back home, brother?" Klaus greeted, jovially.

He was weary of his brothers arrival, and not nearly as thrilled to have him so close to his fragile Little, as his greeting made it seem. However, he was genuinely happy to see his younger sibling. They were close in age, and had always been close growing up. For the most part, at least. Klaus had always been more fond of his sister, but Elijah was perhaps his favorite brother. If you didn't count their youngest brother, Henrik.

Elijah grinned and pulled Klaus into a hug.

"News of your Little, of course! I had a bit of a chat with Marcel. I was just passing through New Orleans really. Stopped into to see if you were around. Low and behold I find out that you're busy with a little boy."

Klaus clenched his jaw. Marcel should know better than to spout information about Klaus to others. He would have to make sure the vampire understood that this was something to keep quiet about. Then again, he suspected this was done out of spite. Marcel had seemed a tad jealous, when he heard that Klaus was eager to rush back to the boy. He called Marcel periodically, just to check in, even though the vamp was grown and fully capable of taking care of himself now. It just so happened that Klaus called him, whilst sorting out the issues with his pack.

Of course, Marcel already was aware of Jeremy. Klaus had requested the use of one of his vampires, afterall. Well, it was really more of an order. Which is why Joshua was at his beck and call and really little more than a glorified babysitter, at the moment.

Klaus' first instinct had been to keep Tyler around. He had a soft spot for the Neutral. He had decided against it, because the pack was unstable enough, without removing their Beta. Klaus also thought that Joshua might get along well with Jeremy, which was one of the main deciding factors, as to why he chose to have that particular vampire around.

Not to mention, Josh was fearful enough of Klaus to obey without asking too many questions. He had almost chosen an Omega that was roughly Jeremy's age. He was glad that he hadn't. Jeremy did seem to like Joshua. The boy enjoyed playing with him, and Josh was well versed in all things video game related. A skill that Klaus lacked himself.

"Of course, I would have told you myself, had I been given the chance. It's only just happened, you see."

Klaus was lying. He had no intention of telling his family about Jeremy. It wasn't for a lack of love. It was simply because his family could be cruel at times. Though, Elijah was, perhaps, the most decent of his living brothers.

"Oh, and I don't begrudge you for it. It was just a coincidence that I happened to find out, really. I do hope you don't hold it against me, for taking the liberties to inform the rest of the family."

Shit.

That was definitely worrisome.

"Are they here, too?" Klaus asked, masking how worried he felt, and pleased when he sounded merely curious.

"No, of course not. They're scattered across the other half of the continent, at the moment. However, I couldn't locate Rebekah. You wouldn't know where she is would you? As far as I know, you were the last to see her."

Klaus raised a brow.

"I haven't talked to our sister, since we parted ways a couple of decades ago."

It wasn't entirely untrue, though he did know exactly where she was, and technically they never parted ways.

"Very well. Where is this Little of yours anyways, Nik? I do hope you're not hiding him."

"Nonsense, Elijah. It's late. The baby is sleeping."

"Ah, of course. Am I right in assuming that Marcel was telling the truth, then? That he is a human."

Klaus nodded, reluctantly.

"How interesting. Since when have you developed a liking for humans, brother?"

"Since I met my little boy." Klaus said, simply.

That was the truth. Klaus had never been one to care for the fragile beings before. Their lives were so fleeting and they were little more than feeding bags and collateral damage, in his opinion. Despite his soft spot for children and Littles, he had never cared much for humans, specifically.

Marcel was perhaps the one exception, and Klaus only felt a desire to help him, after he had shown bravery by retaliating, when his owner had whipped him. Klaus remembers fondly the way the boy had thrown an apple at the man. It was in that moment he had felt compelled to whisk him away from a life of slavery and cruelty. He raised him as his own, until Marcel was grown enough to have power bestowed upon him.

"I really must meet the boy who could change your mind."

"And you, brother? Any Littles of your own?" Klaus questioned, wanting to turn the focus away from Jeremy.

"I'm glad you asked. I do, in fact, have two Littles at the moment. Perhaps they can have a playdate with your little one in due time. Unfortunately, neither of them are with me, and I must admit they are both a bit older. Neither tend to drop far enough to be considered a baby."

Klaus raised a brow at this.

"And where are your Littles, Elijah?"

"Well, a dear friend of mine is looking after them. I had some business to attend to. I will bring them around soon, though."

"I'm sure Jeremy would love that."

Klaus wasn't pleased about the turn of events, but seeing as Jeremy was caught in the crossfire, being cordial, was the safest way to play this.

"I'll leave you to your little one then, brother. Expect the family to show up within a fortnight. Two at the most, I suspect. They are eager to meet the newest addition to the Mikaelson clan."

"Thank you, Elijah. I will be sure to let Jeremy know about you, when he awakes from his slumber."

"Congratulations, Nik. It's nice to know that you're finally settling down and starting a family of your own. Lord knows, you were always more of a friend to Marcel than an authority figure. Hopefully, you will be more of a father to this one."

Klaus smiled, a tight mock of a smile. He ignored the backhanded comment. Now, wasn't the time to start problems.

"I'm glad to hear you are, as well. Take care, brother."

* * *

Klaus found himself in front of Rebekah's coffin. Though he had told Jeremy he might meet her at some point, he'd had no real intention of arranging that meeting anytime soon. That was prior to learning that his whole family was on the way, possibly within a month, if Elijah had guessed correctly.

There was a good chance she'll feel bitter about being staked for so long, and the circumstances of her staking. However, like Klaus, she did have a soft side for Littles. Klaus only hoped that she would take a liking to his boy, and feel the need to protect him.

If there was one person in his family that Klaus trusted the most, it was his sister.

* * *

As expected, she was upset, at first. She did quickly settle down and was happy to hear that Stefan and Damon were nearby. She was also eager to meet Jeremy, just as Klaus had anticipated she would be. He made her wait until he woke up of his own accord. She took the liberty of going to catch up with Stefan, while the boy slept.

Jeremy awoke from a nightmare, at just after five, and Klaus was by his side at once. He had been keeping an ear out for the Little. Who needed baby monitors, when you had supernatural hearing anyways?

"Shh, you're alright. Daddy's got you." He murmured, pulling the baby out of his cradle.

He rocked him in his arms and hummed a tune that he knew well into his ear.

"Daddy? I has a scawy dweam."

"Oh, my poor baby! Tell Daddy what it was about."

Jeremy whimpered and snuggled closer, his face hiding in Klaus's neck.

"Was scawy. Der was monstas 'n dey ate me." He mumbled.

"Oh, my poor dear. Worry not. Daddy won't let any monsters eat you. You're safe with me, my little prince."

Jeremy sighed and nuzzled against Klaus.

"'M hung'y." The boy said, with a pout.

Klaus hummed and rubbed the boys back. It was still early. Perhaps too early for a human to be awake, especially a Little. Klaus had a feeling his Little had school as well, but he had no intention of sending him. Humans rules were trivial to a hybrid, and certainly didn't apply to _his_ Little.

"It's too early for breakfast, love. Joshua will make you a bottle, instead."

"Josh." The boy said, softly, nodding in agreement.

Klaus didn't have to raise his voice to know that Joshua had heard him, or Josh as his Little had apparently taken to calling him. He had heard the boy wake up, and was alert, waiting to see if Klaus or the baby would need something from him. Klaus was glad he had decided to have Josh help him, though he was aware that Marcel wanted him back and that the boy missed his bestfriend. That didn't really concern Klaus. The vampire would do as he was told, he didn't doubt that. For now, he was useful. He would send him back, if Rebekah was willing to take over.

Klaus was a busy man and he had much to do. He would need someone else watching out for his Little, when he couldn't be there.

Josh showed up quickly with a warm bottle of milk.

"Thank you, Joshua."

Josh nodded, and was gone. Klaus took the bottle and went to the nursery to settle into the rocking chair that sat in the corner. Jeremy squirmed a bit in his lap, and whined.

"Hush, little one. Drink your milk without a fuss."

Jeremy huffed. He scowled at the bottle.

"No' baby." He grumbled.

"You are my baby though, so open up."

Klaus pressed the silicone nipple to the boys lips. He made an unhappy noise, but parted his lips and let the bottle into his mouth. He took an experimental suck and gagged slightly, milk dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. Klaus pulled the bottle back. Jeremy hadn't been expecting for it to flow so quickly.

Klaus was up and had grabbed a burp rag, and resettled in the rocking chair, before the boy could even comprehend what was happening. To Jeremy it was just a blur of movements that happened so quickly, it was like it hadn't happened at all. Klaus wiped up the milk off his chin and gave him the bottle back.

"Slowly." He instructed the boy.

Jeremy was more hesitant to suck this time. When he did it was just the slightest of suckles. The milk was warm and soothing. He soon set into a rhythm of sucking and swallowing. In no time, he had guzzled the bottle down. Klaus was just finishing burping him, when Rebekah showed up.

"There's my nephew. Oh, he's adorable, Nik!"

Jeremy started at the sound of her voice and looked at her with wide eyes. Klaus rubbed his back to comfort him.

"It's alright, little one. This is my sister that I told you about. Rebekah, say hello."

"Hello, Jeremy. You can call me Auntie Becs. It's a pleasure to meet you, sweetie."

Jeremy blinked at her, glanced back at Klaus and then reached out for the woman.

"Oh, look at that! He likes me already."

Klaus laughed and passed the boy off to her.

"He could do with a bit more sleep. Want to rock him for me? I should call Tyler back."

Rebekah hummed her approval and took Klaus' spot in the rocking chair.

"Who's Tyler?" She asked, already rocking the boy and rubbing his back.

Jeremy laid his head down on her shoulder and cuddled up to her. Klaus plucked the lion out of his cradle and passed it off to Rebekah. Jeremy immediately latched onto the stuffie, clutching the plush toy in his arm.

"Tyler is watching over my pack for me." Klaus said, rather vaguely.

There was no need to go into specifics about the boy that Klaus had become too attached to. It didn't serve anyone for Klaus to develop feelings for his Beta. Besides, Tyler was sired to him, which meant he literally couldn't disobey Klaus. If there ever was an abuse of power, certainly being with Tyler would be that.

For Klaus the main concern was that he didn't enjoy being vulnerable, and getting attached to someone was a sure way of compromising oneself. This was one of the reasons he'd never taken a Little, until now that is. One look at Jeremy and Klaus had fallen head over heels. It really was ridiculous to think of how easily and effortlessly the boy had ensnared him.

"Your pack?" She asked, absently, humming the same tune Klaus had hummed.

It was the tune from a lullaby their mother had sang to them long ago as children. Klaus smiled at the sight of his little boy cuddling up to his little sister. It was endearing to say the least.

"Yes, I have a pack of hybrids now, sister. We have a whole of catching up to do, but that will have to wait until later."

Rebekah sent him a suspicious look, but let him leave without any further questions.

* * *

Things seemed to be going smoothly enough. Rebekah got Jeremy to fall back asleep and laid him down in his crib. Klaus and his sister were getting along well. Rebekah was gushing over how adorable his Little was. Unfortunately, things went down hill when Jeremy woke up Big.

Klaus had gotten distracted, swapping stories back and forth about their past and, more specifically, about good times spent with Stefan back in the twenties. He didn't notice when Jeremy woke up in his crib, furious to be in, what he considered to be, a baby cage. He came storming down the stairs. Josh stepped in to stop him from leaving.

"Fuck you, Josh! Don't touch me!"

"You need to talk to Klaus before you go, Jeremy."

"I'm not asking that monster for permission to leave. I'm going home." Jeremy snapped.

Klaus heard the outburst. 

"What's going on here?" He demanded, striding into the grand entrance.

His eyes raked Jeremy, to ensure the boy was okay, noting that he was still clutching the lion in his hand, even though he had clearly put his Big clothes back on.

Jeremy glared at him.

"I'm going home."

"Why? If you need something from there I can have Joshua grab it for you."

Jeremy clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together. He didn't want anything to do with this man. He hated that he yearned to have him near. He hated that he felt safe, just knowing that Klaus was nearby. He was scared. This man wasn't human. He was something entirely different and that scared Jeremy. He didn't know how to handle it, but he couldn't stay here, as much as his heart ached at the thought of leaving. He needed to get away. He needed space to sort out the jumble of thoughts in his head.

"I need to go home. I know what you are. I know you're a hybrid. I don't want to stay here."

Jeremy tried not to feel guilty from the pain that flashed in Klaus' eyes. He didn't try to fight the fear he felt when the pain turned into anger.

"What makes you think I'll let you leave?" Klaus asked, his voice hard and cold.

Jeremy swallowed down the lump in his throat, shuffling his feet.

"I- you- just let me go!" He stuttered out.

Klaus narrowed his eyes.

"No! I won't ever let you go! Go back to your room, until you calm down." 

Jeremy's eyes widened at the raised voice and the harsh look that accompanied it. Who did he think he was? Ordering him around like that.

"I'm not Little. You can't tell me what to do."

Jeremy wished it had come out strong and certain, instead his voice quivered.

"I'm your daddy. I can always tell you what to do." Klaus said, his voice dangerously calm.

Jeremy felt tears well up in his eyes. His hand tightened around the lion. He wasn't even sure why he was still holding it. He didn't want to let it go though.

"Fuck you! You're not my daddy!"

He stepped towards the door. He had every intention of leaving, but Klaus had thrown him over his shoulder before his foot even hit the ground. Jeremy shrieked in surprise.

"Put me down!" He shouted.

He kicked and pounded his fists, but Klaus didn't budge. He just dropped the boy in his room and locked the door. Jeremy was left alone and miserable. He sobbed looking around the space. He blinked through his tears, noticing that he wasn't in the nursery. This room was clearly set up for a teenager. Did Klaus completely renovate his place within the few days he'd known Jeremy?

If he wasn't so upset and angry, he would have been pleasantly surprised with the space. He was hurt though. Hurt and terribly lost. He didn't know what to do, or how to feel. He pulled back thick curtains to peer out the window. The property seemed to stretch on forever. He was two floors up, but even if he did manage to climb down somehow, he knew it wouldn't matter. There was no way he'd make it off the property without being dragged back.

He curled up in the corner instead. His knees came up. He glared at the lion in his hand, and threw it across the room. The plush toy smacked the wall, before dropping to the carpet with a light thump.

His arms wrapped around his knees, hugging them, drawing them close. He buried his face in his arms. Sobs wracked his body as he broke down. He hates this. He hates Klaus for making him feel this way. For locking him away in this room. Even if it was a nice room. He didn't care.

He just wanted to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I am starting to establish this connection between Klaus and Tyler that is totally irrelevant at the moment. However, I'm working on a sequel.
> 
> Which is either going to really excite you or really not excite you, because Jeremy, Tyler and Klaus enter into a relationship. 
> 
> So yeah, that doesn't effect this work at all, so don't let that deter you from finishing this one, even if that doesn't interest you.
> 
> I figured I should warn you guys though, since things are definitely going in a different direction in the next one.
> 
> I'm gonna post the last chapter, hopefully, next week!


	5. Chapter 5

At some point, after the tears had dried up and his head hurt from all of the crying, Jeremy crawled over and scooped up the stuffie off the ground. He flopped down on the bed and clutched the lion to his chest. His eyes stared up at the ceiling, not really seeing it. The tears had faded, but his anger still burned bright. How dare Klaus do this to him?

He was pissed off.

He would not just bow down to this man and give up his control. He may be a Little, but he was not a slave nor a prisoner. He wasn't going to do as he was told and he wouldn't be held captive here, locked away behind these doors. These walls could not contain him. He was determined that he would get out of here. His anger simmered inside of him, fueling his negative thoughts.

The seconds ticked by, turning from minutes to hours. By the time Klaus came back to check on the boy, worried that he'd been too silent for too long, Jeremy had calmed down and a plan had formed in his mind. He realized now was not the time to be stubborn or indignant. No matter how much he wanted to kick and scream and make demands. Klaus was a hybrid. If it came down to a who was physically stronger, Jeremy would lose everytime. He would play Little, until Klaus felt that the storm had passed. Then, he would ask to have a playdate with his sister, and have Stefan and Damon save him from this cruel man.

As far as he was concerned, it was a fool proof plan.

"Jeremy?"

Jeremy knew what he needed to do. He refused to acknowledge just how much he wanted it, too.

 _This is all just part of the plan_ , he thought to himself.

"Daddy!"

Jeremy ran towards him. Klaus was pleasantly surprised to have the Little run into his arms. He immediately scooped him up. Jeremy didn't have to fake it, when he burst out into tears, but he didn't mean it when he apologized.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm sorry!"

"Shh, it's okay, love. Daddy was angry, but Daddy shouldn't have left you all alone."

"Don't wanna be alone, Daddy."

"I know. Shh, it's alright now. Let's go find, Auntie."

Rebekah was pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven, when they entered. Jeremy's eyes lit up and he squirmed out of Klaus' arms. Klaus set him down, but held him back.

"They're hot, love."

Jeremy tried to maintain his grasp on his Big side. He was just pretending to be Little, right?

"I want a cookie!" He whined.

That's what a Little would do. He certainly wasn't feeling Little himself. He wasn't. No way.

It was harder to convince himself of that, when he started to suck on his fingers. Klaus was gone and back, before the boy even noticed he'd left. He replaced his slimy fingers with a pacifier. Jeremy considered spitting it out, because he wasn't Little, but that wouldn't be very convincing. He needed Klaus to believe he was Little, besides it was soothing to have the weight of it on his tongue as he suckled at it. If any thoughts of Littles refusing pacifiers when they were upset, drifted through his mind, he pushed them aside. He was only do it as an act. He had to suck in the piece of plastic, and if it soothed him in the process, well two birds with one stone.

Rebekah set out a cookie on a plastic plate for him. She smiled when he made grabby hands for it and handed it over.

"Do you want milk with your cookie, sweetie?"

"Yes, please, Auntie."

Jeremy barely noticed the words as he salivated over the cookie. Rebekah grinned and poured him a cup of milk, setting it down on the counter. Jeremy glanced up at it, and then at the stool. Klaus didn't give him the opportunity to get on it. He picked the boy up. Jeremy yelped as he was plopped down in Klaus' lap. He turned his head to glare at the man.

"Eat your cookie, love."

Jeremy knew he wasn't Big anymore and it frustrated him, just how easily he slipped around Klaus. He was easily distracted by the cookie in front of him, though.

"It's choco chip, Daddy!"

"I know. Do you like chocolate, baby?"

Jeremy nodded his head, making a small noise in confirmation, before dipping his cookie in his milk. He didn't even protest being called a baby, because he had a cookie, and really there wasn't much better than cookies.

"Mmm!"

"Is it good? I've never been very good at human skills like baking, but I followed the recipe down to the T." Rebekah said, somewhat nervously.

"Nummy!" The Little confirmed taking another bite.

"More, Daddy." Jeremy demanded, when he finished.

Klaus and Rebekah laughed at the insistent boy. Rebekah immediately grabbed another one off of the tray.

"As you wish, my little prince." Klaus murmured, pressing his nose into Jeremy's hair and breathing in the humans sugary sweet scent.

Littles were always sweeter than other humans.

"Can you say, please?" Rebekah encouraged.

"Pwease!" The boy said, long and drawn out, sounding every bit like a small child as he did so.

It was just an act, right?

"Good boy." Klaus murmured.

He kissed the top of Jeremy's head as the boy dipped his cookie.

* * *

Jeremy was building with wooden blocks in his playroom, when he heard voices drift up the staircase. Any plans of escaping forgotten as he played. If he was acting before, he wasn't now. He was fully dropped and deep in his headspace. Klaus had told him to stay here and play, that he'd be right back.

A few minutes ago when he'd been told that, Jeremy didn't pay much attention to that. As much as he had been determined to stay Big, it was hard to deny that he had dropped, when he sat their completely absorbed in his toys, wearing trainer pants, because he refused to wear a pull up, or God forbid, be put back in a diaper.

As it turns out, he wasn't so good at fighting off his Little side, when he was here in this space, where everything was set up for him to drop. He wanted to hate it, but the truth was, he felt safe here.

Jeremy recognized the voices, calling his name.

Stefan and Damon.

Suddenly, he snapped out of his headspace. The change was abrupt and almost painful, how quickly he changed direction. His mind started racing. This was his chance to get out of here. He spat out the plastic in his mouth.

He hesitated with his hand on the door handle, then turned around and snagged his lion off the play rug. He was inexplicably attached to the plush toy. He told himself it had nothing to do with the fact that Klaus had given it to him, but that wasn't entirely true.

Arguing.

Stefan was undoubtedly arguing with Klaus. Damon was still calling his name. Now that he was in the hall, he could tell they were arguing about him. They were looking for him. Jeremy came running down the staircase. He must not have been quite as Big as he had thought, perhaps he was somewhere in between headspaces, because he ran right into Damon's arms.

"Jeremy, are you okay?" Damon asked him, immediately scooping him up.

"Baby, you need to go back to your playroom." Klaus said at the same time.

"No! I wanna go home!" He demanded, his voice little more than a whine.

He wished that he sounded older, but at least he wasn't asking for permission.

"We're going to take you home, Jeremy." Stefan reassured.

"You're not taking him anywhere!" Klaus roared, furious at the thought.

Rebekah was at the door, blocking it, and Stefan turned to her.

"Rebekah, you must understand that if Klaus forces him to stay, Jeremy will be upset."

"He's happy here." She protested.

"Maybe now, but he won't be when he's Big. Let us take him home, and there's a chance he will choose to come back."

"He makes my brother happy."

"I think Klaus cares a lot about, Jeremy. He wants him to be happy." Stefan reasoned with Rebekah, but he glanced over at Klaus.

Klaus was struggling. Fighting with his desire to just keep the boy locked away and never let him go, and his desire to give the boy anything he wanted. The two desires clashed together. Conflicting and confusing. At the end of the day, Klaus just wanted to do right by his little boy.

He approached Damon slowly, to not scare the boy. The Damon and Stefan watched him warily, and Jeremy's lip quivered.

Klaus crouched down and Jeremy squirmed in Damon's hold. The vampire reluctantly set him down.

"Is this really what you want, little one?" Klaus asked.

Jeremy nodded.

"I want to go home." The boy said, pouting.

"This is your home now."

Jeremy's lip trembled and tears welled up in his eyes. The sight of it broke Klaus' heart.

"Want my sissy." The boy cried, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Klaus swallowed and nodded.

"As you wish my little prince. Go on then, but come home when you're done."

It killed him to say it, because the last thing he wanted was for Jeremy to leave. He needed to believe that the boy would choose to return. If he didn't, Klaus would bring him back kicking and screaming. He just hoped it didn't come to that.

He knew his little boy wasn't safe out there. The world outside of these walls was large and treacherous, looming over the child like a threat of constant danger. Klaus needed to keep him close, in order to keep him safe. Still, he would let the boy leave. If only for the moment.

Jeremy's eyes widened, and he wrapped his arms around the man's neck.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Jeremy whispered in his ear.

Klaus had to hold himself back, when the boy pulled away. He stood up and forced himself to step back. Damon grabbed Jeremy's hand, watching Klaus warily, and pulled the boy to the door. Rebekah stepped aside, at a nod from Klaus.

"You're really gonna let him go?" Rebekah asked, as the door closed.

He ignored her.

"Joshua!"

"Yeah?" Josh asked, appearing in the grand entrance.

"Go follow them. Keep an eye on the boy, but stay out of the way. Any sign of danger and I want him brought back here."

"Yes, sir."

Klaus turned to Rebekah, when the vampire left.

"I will allow the boy this privilege, but I'd be foolish to leave him unprotected. Too many are aware of his existence. Our family wishes to meet the boy, and I have no doubt that trouble will follow them, wherever they go, whether their intentions are pure or not."

"Do you really think our brothers would hurt him?"

"I believe Kol would enjoy taking him, just to toy with me. The rest of our family, I worry much less about."

* * *

"Hey, Jer. Are you okay?"

Jeremy fought the urge to roll his eyes at his sister. Jenna hadn't been too upset when he returned. It wasn't entirely uncommon for a Little to spend a lot of time with their Caregiver, or to be kept out of school, because they weren't Big enough to attend. Elena did it all the time. Jenna did insist that he bring Klaus over for dinner sometime soon, preferably before he dissapeared overnight again. Jeremy nodded along, but felt all twisted up inside.

Now he was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the TV screen. Images flitted by as some show played, but he barely noticed it. His mind was too caught up in Klaus. Elena had asked if he was okay at least half a dozen times since he arrived home, just over an hour ago. It was definitely wearing on his nerves.

He sighed.

"I'm fine."

She bit her lip, not looking convinced.

"I think we should talk."

"About what?"

"About all of this, or any of it, really."

"Any of what, Elena?" He snapped.

She recoiled slightly, then squared her shoulders and scowled at him.

"You being Little and not telling me. You meeting Klaus and not telling me. You sneaking off in the night to get wasted and not telling me." She yelled.

Jeremy did roll his eyes this time. He loved his sister. He really did. But there was a reason Jeremy didn't tell her things. She was always judging him.

"Or, I don't know, you finding out about the existence of vampires and werewolves and witches." She said, her voice barely a whisper.

Jeremy was about to snap at her again, then his brows furrowed.

"Witches?"

Elena shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah, witches, Jer, and who knows what else. I'm pretty new to all this myself."

Jeremy chewed on his lip, processing that.

"I don't wanna talk about it now." He finally said.

Elena huffed and turned to look out the window. She fidgeted with a necklace that Stefan had gifted to her. The sight of it made Jeremy's insides squirm. He wasn't entirely sure why. He thought maybe he felt a bit jealous. He tried to tell himself that he was being ridiculous. He didn't want Klaus giving him presents, like he belonged to the man. Did he?

He thought of his plush lion, glancing down at his lap. Why did he even take it with him? It was stupid really. He couldn't pinpoint exactly why it meant so much to him. He flat out refused to believe it had anything to do with Klaus.

When he did glance back up, Elena had a look in her eyes that made Jeremy rip his gaze away from her.

"Just, be safe, okay? I love you, Jer. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Jeremy scowled at her.

"Do you know him?"

Elena cocked a brow at him.

"Klaus? Have you met him before?"

Elena shook her head.

"No, Jeremy, I haven't. I have heard things about him, from Stefan and Damon. I- Jeremy, they told me things that concern me. Still, they insist that they don't really think he'll hurt you. I don't know what to think. I just don't want to see you in danger. Klaus, he seems dangerous."

"He is." Jeremy said.

He knew without a doubt, that it was true.

Elena's lips pressed into a thin line and her hands clenched into fists, her nail digging into her palms.

"Is he dangerous to you, though? Has hurt you, Jer?"

Jeremy's mind flitted back to being locked away in that room. His room. It had clearly been set up just for him. He felt that warm feeling inside of him, despite the bitterness of the memory. Klaus did care about him. He must, right?

Maybe it was just wishful thinking on Jeremy's part.

"No, he hasn't. I think he likes to spoil me."

Elena looked uncertain. Like she wasn't sure she should say what she wanted to or not.

"Do you think he would have let you leave, if Stefan and Damon hadn't of been there?"

Jeremy sighed.

No, he didn't. Klaus definitely didn't want him to leave. Jeremy didn't say that though. He was surprised by how deeply he felt the need to protect the man.

"I think he wants to keep me safe. He's scared, Elena. I think he's powerful, and with that comes a lot of enemies. He just wants to keep me safe. I hated it, but it somehow feels worse being away from him."

Elena didn't look entirely happy with his answer, but she nodded in understanding.

"I know the feeling. I want to be independent and make my own choices, but I still crave the attention and affection of my daddies. Sometimes it's hard to balance out the two. They seem to contradict eachother at every turn. Like a war of conflicting emotions raging inside of me."

Jeremy swallowed.

He had never so wholeheartedly agreed with anything his sister had said before. They sat there together for a while, staring at the screen, but not really watching the show.

* * *

Jeremy took a few days for himself. Going to school, hanging out with Vicki, trying to pretend he was a normal teenager. At the end of the day, he knew it was a lie. He had always known. The real difference was, now, he yearned to just be Little. He held his lion tight as he lie awake and heard the whispers of a lullaby in the night. Like the wind was singing softly to him. A song he recognized, but he couldn't quite recall why.

It wasn't until the week met it's end, that he finally gave in to temptation.

He invited Klaus over for dinner.

When the man showed up, there were no outward signs of anger, resentment, or rejection, though Jeremy wondered if it was a facade. Were those feelings simmering under the surface of this carefully sculpted mask?

Klaus smiled at him. Jeremy squirmed under his intense stare. He felt the desire to be held, but he pushed it aside. 

"Hi, you must be Klaus. I'm Jenna, Jeremy's aunt." Jenna said, coming up behind Jeremy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jenna."

"Thank you for coming. I've been wanting to meet you. It was a bit of a shock, finding out that Jeremy was a Little, but I'm glad he found someone who made him feel safe enough to share that side of him with us."

Klaus smiled at her.

"It was my pleasure, ma'am."

"Oh, Jenna's fine, really. Please, come in. Dinner's just about ready. I'm not really much of a cook, but hopefully it's decent."

Jeremy fidgeted through out the meal. Elena practically quizzed Klaus, and Jeremy was mortified. The man took it in stride, answering her questions, while staying aware of the fact that their aunt was unaware of his true nature. Not that Elena brought up him being a hybrid, of course.

He kept glancing over at Klaus, wishing he was in his lap, curled up safely in his arms.

He thought perhaps Klaus knew this, from the smirk that played at his lips. Jeremy huffed in annoyance, and stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork. Klaus had embarrassingly sliced up his chicken into small bites. Jeremy had wanted to complain, his cheeks red and his lips pouting, but Elena had looked pleased. Aunt Jenna had asked, almost appalled, if that was something she was supposed to be doing for the Littles. It had clearly never crossed her mind.

Klaus had just smiled, reassuringly at her.

"No, it's not necessary. Not when they're Big. I just enjoy the rudimentary tasks of caring for my Little."

Jeremy had blushed bright red at the offhand comment. The easy claim of Jeremy as _his_ Little. He wasn't Klaus', was he? Surely, the man didn't own him.

Klaus offered to help Jenna clear up after dinner and Jeremy pulled Elena into the hall. She gave him a questioning look.

"Stefan and Damon don't own you, do they?"

Elena frowned at him.

"No. I think that kind of thinking is a bit archaic, don't you?"

Jeremy sighed in relief.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure."

"They definitely like to think they have a claim on me though. It half annoys me and half flatters me. It took them a little while to realize they could share me, since they both wanted me to be theirs."

Jeremy frowned.

"Is that different than being owned?"

He wasn't sure he liked the idea of being claimed as Klaus'. Well, maybe he did a little.

Elena shrugged.

"I think they like to think that they own me. I just make sure to assert my independence by being opinionated. It works out well enough, most of the time."

"Most of the time?"

"Well, they are vampires. They can technically overpower me, but they don't usually resort to that. On occasion, when they feel I'm being too reckless, they use their strength against me, but it's only happened a couple of times."

Jeremy nodded, and chewed at his lip.

* * *

Jeremy squirmed as Klaus said goodbye, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He watched him walk out the door, and felt the urge to stop him. To beg him to stay.

He didn't. He let him leave and settled down on the couch. He couldn't get over the nagging feeling inside of him. His skin felt itchy and his thoughts were a mess. He really just wanted his daddy.

"Jenna?"

Jenna hummed, not looking up from the book in her hands.

"Would it be okay, if I went over to Klaus's?"

Jenna looked up at that.

"Now?"

Jeremy blushed and nodded.

"I guess." Jenna said.

Jeremy jumped up and Jenna tried to stifle her laughter at his obvious excitement. He couldn't even find it in himself to be embarrassed. Elena smirked at him, but stood up and followed him to the door. She handed him the plush lion, that he'd forgotten on the couch.

"Here."

"Thanks." He rushed out, barely able to contain his desire to dash out the door.

She smiled, but there were concerned wrinkles around her eyes.

"Be careful, Jer."

He nodded and hugged her.

"I promise."

She squeezed him and he was gone.

* * *

He wasn't entirely shocked that Josh joined him as he walked down the street.

"Hey, Jeremy."

Jeremy rolled his eyes, but smirked.

"Following me?"

"Captain's orders." He teased, with a mock salute.

Jeremy laughed. He really did like Josh.

"I think you mean King's orders." Jeremy joked.

"Whatever you say, little prince."

Jeremy glared playfully at the vampire and bumped their shoulders together.

They chatted a bit as they made there way to Klaus' family mansion. The place looked more like a palace to Jeremy. Lavish and grand, with exquisitely crafted columns and decorative carvings etched into it. He sucked in a breath, approaching the large doors. He raised a fist to knock, but Josh's voice stopped him.

"That's not really necessary."

Jeremy blinked at him in surprise, his fist hanging in the air.

"Why not?"

"He already knows you're hear. I'm sure he heard us the moment we stepped onto the stone path."

Jeremy frowned.

"You can just enter." Josh prompted.

Jeremy shook his head.

He wanted to test it. To see if Klaus was really that aware of his presence. Could Josh be right? Did he already know Jeremy was there? Was he keeping an ear out for the return of his Little? The thought made Jeremy's stomach do flips. Or did vampires always hear everything? Was his hearing even better, because he was a hybrid? Josh looked confused as he watched Jeremy ponder over the information. He was wondering if he should have just held his tongue and let Jeremy knock, even if it hadn't been necessary.

"Klaus?" Jeremy asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

He frowned when a moment passed with nothing. Then, the doors were being flung open and Klaus was there, standing just inside of the entrance. A small smile played at his lips. He looked deeply amused by his Little's antics.

"Jeremy." He said in response.

Jeremy grinned. His eyes lit up, and he felt himself dropping. He knew he'd been feeling smaller and smaller on the walk over here, but now he was definitely Little.

"Daddy!"

Klaus chuckled and scooped the boy into his arms.

"Come, my little prince. Let's go get you ready for bed."

Jeremy pouted.

"Don't wanna sleep, Daddy. 'M not tired."

Klaus smiled and stroked his hair, walking the boy inside.

"You can play a little bit, after we get you into jammies."

Klaus didn't say that he wanted to put protection on him. He was sure the boy would put up a fight if he mentioned it.

"Otay, Daddy." He mumbled, sleepily.

His head nuzzled against Klaus and he yawned. His fists rubbed sleepily at his eyes. Klaus kissed his temple, walking slowly up the stairs. He felt the desire to savor every moment with his little boy. What a precious little boy he is too.

Jeremy was half asleep by the time they reached his nursery.

He barely noticed Klaus undressing him. He sleepily snuggled his lion as he was put in a diaper, followed by dinosaur pyjamas. He definitely would have argued, if he had really noticed it was happening. He was too far in his headspace to be fully aware of his surroundings, and emotionally exhausted. He was just happy to be with his daddy.

Klaus rocked him to sleep, since it was obvious the boy wouldn't stay awake long enough to play.

Klaus tucked the sleeping boy into his crib, brushing his hair off of his forehead. His lips barely brushing the skin underneath. He clipped a pacifier to Jeremy's pyjamas, just in case the boy woke up and wanted it in the night.

He had trouble pulling himself away from the sleeping boy, watching him sleep peacefully, much longer than necessary. Klaus would do anything to ensure the safety of his little boy. He had a nagging feeling that things were going to get even more challenging, very soon. He desperately wanted to keep the boy nearby.

He would have the deed to this place written up in Jeremy's name. His little prince, the heir to his thrown. Marcel already had a kingdom of his own to rule over. This home was for his little boy. He would suggest that Stefan do the same with his place, have it written up in Elena's name, so Klaus would know Jeremy was safe, if he went over there for playdates.

A time of danger was looming over them.

Klaus wasn't looking forward to it, but he was glad to have his Little within arms reach. Jeremy shifted, his head turning to the side, exposing his neck. Klaus fought against the desire to sink his teeth into the boy. Jeremy's blood pulsing through the vein in his neck. So sweet. So tempting. Klaus would never hurt him. Not intentionally. He would have to be careful to manage his thirst and to monitor the thirst of those he allowed near the boy.

Humans were far too fragile for their own good.

"Good night, my little prince."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never written a vampire diaries fic before, so this was a brand new experience for me. It's been a couple of years since I last watched either of these shows, so I really hope I did it justice.
> 
> I am working on a sequel and I will hopefully be posting the first chapter next Thursday!
> 
> As always I really appreciate the support, thanks for reading, leaving kudos and commenting! And thanks to LivingDeaDGirl244 for giving me the idea for this story!
> 
> You can always chat with me about the series or leave asks on my tumblr @BuckyBearDreams


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